“We know air pollution and economic development are linked, but we want to know how tightly and whether our actions can change this,” said Ruixue Lei, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. “We found they are not inherently bonded and can be decoupled under favorable policies.”
While previous research has explored the connections between air pollution, fossil-fuel emissions and economic growth, the study is the first to examine all three jointly to determine their long-term, global relationships, the scientists said.
“The significance of this study is that data from satellites was used for the first time to prove that we actually do not need to sacrifice our environment while at the same time having a growth economy,” said Sha Feng, assistant research professor of meteorology and atmospheric science. “This relationship can be detangled, but countries may need infrastructure or policy support to make it happen.”